The days that followed were quiet ones, the routine still the same here as it had been at home. The kids got up, went about getting ready, and I took them to school. Both Nate and Kaylee had a sadness surrounding them now. Kaylee had lost her spark and Nate had turned sullen, only speaking if he was spoken too.
“I need to do something, I feel like I’m losing them, Nan.”
I had caught Rob cheating on Monday. Today was only Friday yet it felt like years since that dreadful moment. It's amazing how a few days can feel like a lifetime when your whole world has been turned upside down.
“I think we all need to do something together, Will. Help take their minds off it all.”
Putting down the potato I'd been peeling in preparation for dinner, I faced her as she sat at the dining room table watching me. “I should call Rob and see if he wants to take them over the weekend. It’s only fair he gets to see them too.”
“Has he been in touch since we saw him?” Nan asked me, knowing all too well that he hadn't been in touch at all.
Shaking my head, I return back to what I was doing. “You know he hasn't but I feel I need to at least speak to him and offer him the chance to see them. He might be staying away as he feels that we need space.”
“You know that’s utter bull but to ease your guilty mind, get on the phone to him now, see what he wants to do.”
“I will once I’ve finished doing these.” I was trying to put off the phone call for as long as possible.
“Put the damn peeler down, I can finish doing those. You go make the call. Then you will know one way or the other.”
Not even bothering to try and fight her on this, I dried my hands on my apron and went to my room to get my cell phone. Pulling up his number I took a few deep breaths to calm my rapidly growing nerves before I pushed call. It rang for a few moments and just when I thought he wouldn't answer he picked up the call.
“Hello.”
“Hey, it’s Willow.”
“I’m well aware of who it is since your name came up on my display.” The tone of his voice shocks me. He has never spoken to me like this before and he certainly wasn't going to be starting now.
“I was calling to ask if you wanted to see the kids over the weekend?” I was keeping my voice light and friendly when inside I wanted to let him have it, all guns blazing.
“This weekend?” he repeated back to me.
“Yes, Rob. This weekend.” This time I couldn't help the pissy tone that escaped me.
“I have plans this weekend, Willow,” he sniped back at me, his tone childish to say the least.
“You're fucking kidding me, right?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How dare he not want to see his children, his own flesh and blood whom he hadn't seen since they left for school on Monday morning.
“No, I am not fucking kidding you. I have plans.”
“Who with?” I asked him, hoping he wouldn't say her name. I couldn't bear the thought of him giving up the time with Nate and Kaylee to spend with a whorebag like her.
“It’s none of your business who I have plans with. We are no longer together so what I do from now on is no concern of yours. Tell the kids I will call them later.”
“They know, Rob, about you. They know that we're taking some time apart and they're hurting, hurting so bad. I had to tell them, they were asking questions. I couldn't lie to them. They need to see you. I promised Kaylee that you would still be there for her, that you wouldn't stop seeing her like her friend’s dad had done.” I tried to plead with him, to make him see that not spending time with his children during such a stressful time in their lives would have consequences later on.
“I don't know what you want me to say, Will.” His voice was quiet over the phone line. Maybe what I said had gotten through to him.
“Say you’ll come and see the kids over the weekend,” I pleaded again, not embarrassed for one minute that I was all but begging the man. I would go to any lengths to make sure my children are happy.
“I’ll see what I can do. I’ll give you a call if I have some free time, but I honestly can't promise anything,” he told me, his tone bolder now.
“You can't promise anything? They’re your fucking children! They should come first, they should always come first!” I barked down the phone at him, my need to keep things calm and civil long forgotten. How could he do this to them? How could he put some homewrecking bitch before Nate and Kaylee?
“Willow,” he started but I cut him off before anything else came out of his vile mouth.
“Go to fucking hell, Robert, and take that homewrecking slut with you!” I bellowed before hanging up on him, throwing my phone across my bed in anger.
This new Rob had me completely baffled, he'd never acted or spoken that way before. That got me thinking. Had he always been like that and I'd never noticed, too blinded by love to see him for what he was? Or had this person emerged afterwards, maybe after Nan had confronted him? He probably felt the need to assert his manliness around me. All I know now is that taking a break in our marriage has been the best thing to happen and maybe something that should have been done long before I caught him cheating on me.
After taking a few moments to compose myself I headed back downstairs to tell my nan about the phone call.
“He said he'd let me know if he can come and see them.”
“He said what?!” Throwing the peeler down into the sink she mimics my actions from earlier, drying her hands and removing her apron.
“Let me get my coat, Willow. I think I need to go and pay him another visit!”
“Don't bother, Nan. He isn't worth it. All we can do now is make sure Nate and Kaylee have all they need from us.”
“And what happens if they mention their Dad?” she asked retying her apron around her. I was thankful that I managed to talk her out of going to see him, I am pretty sure he would've gotten the police involved.
“Then we will just tell them that he's had to work overtime at the office, it's not like he hasn't done that before.” I begin to wonder if he really ever worked on the weekends when he said he was. He could have been using that as an excuse to fuck around on me, but I keep that to myself not wanting to rile nan any more than she is.
“You shouldn't have to lie to them. He shouldn't be putting you in this position. He made this mess, it should be him who has to explain himself!”
“I know that!” I bite out. “Do you think I want to lie to them? That just because I’m not sitting in a corner crying and rocking myself that I am not just as cut up about it all like they are? I’m trying to be strong, Nan. I’m trying and I need you in my corner, fighting with me not against me. Please, Nan. Please just drop it now.” I sat down, the phone call and disagreement with Nan drained me of all the energy I had.
“Here, child.” She pushed a handkerchief across the table to me. “Wipe your face. I’m sorry, child. I didn't mean to make you cry, I am just so angry with him. Of course I will fight this with you. You three are my whole life and I would do anything to protect you.”
“I love you, Nan,” I blubbered, holding her handkerchief over my face, trying to catch the never-ending tears.
“I love you too, my brave Willow. Never, ever doubt that. So plans for the weekend, how do you feel about kart racing?”
I laughed and just like that our cross words were behind us and we still stood as strong as ever.
“You said we were going kart racing!”
“No, I never agreed to anything of the sort, I just said I would think about it!”
“Well I want to go race some damn karts.”
“I don't care what you want, get in the car, now!”
Anyone who might be listening to this conversation would think that I was arguing with a child when in fact I'm arguing with my nan. That’s right, my old age pensioner of a nan wanted to risk her life racing a kart around a track and now she doesn't like the fact that I have had to act the adult and put a stop to it all.
I looked through the window of the car to see Nate and Kaylee doubled over with laughter. I’m glad at least they are getting some enjoyment out of this whereas I was two seconds away from starting to look at retirement homes she could move into. She was driving me crazy!